Fencing along Indo-Bangla border likely by 2006 end

The fencing along the Indo-Bangla border is likely to be completed by the end of 2006, the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of Home Ministry was informed in New Delhi Tuesday.

Briefing the members, who had come to discuss border management, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the work was likely to be completed by December 2006.

Fencing along the Indo-Bangla border has been a contentious issue between the Bangladesh Rifles and Border Security Force as Dhaka has been objecting to the erection of fencing at certain points, which they term as "violation of the agreement".

Patil said militant infiltration from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir has been consistently decreasing since 2001.

Taking part in the deliberations, members expressed happiness that fencing on the western border has significantly contributed to reduction in infiltration from across the border.

They also underlined the importance of redressing the grievances of people in border areas and providing impetus to developmental and welfare activities there.

The parliamentarians also called for providing more gates along the fencing for the benefit of farmers and other people living in the border areas and stressed on the need to providing better connectivity of border areas with other parts of the country.

Besides Patil, Union Ministers of State for Home Manik Rao Gavit, Sriprakash Jaiswal and S Regupathy, Home Secretary V K Duggal and other home ministry officials attended the meeting.